Mary E. Thompson's Blog, page 48

Secret Santa (Dec 28)

He hesitated. She knew he wasn’t going to tell her, but she hoped. Then he hesitated and it was clear. He didn’t trust her.

“It’s okay. You don’t know me at all. You can’t trust me with a secret like that when you don’t know anything about me.”

He sighed heavily as though the weight of the world had been lifted from him when she let him off the hook.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you. I just know you’ll feel differently about me once you find out who I really am.”

Holly eyed him closely, stopping to stare at his face again. He paused and let her look, holding her gaze as she tried to place the eyes that were familiar in a way. She stared at him, eyes unfocused, as she replayed his voice in her head. It was there, tickling the edge of her brain, but it wouldn’t come out.

“I knew I knew you. I still just can’t figure it out though.”

“That’s because,” Santa began, peeling off bushy eyebrows to reveal dark ones underneath, “when I usually speak to you I’m not as pleasant. When I looked at you before, I barely saw you.” He wiped the rosy glow from his cheeks. “I’m not someone you would have ever given a second thought to because you never liked me. Not the real me. The secret behind Santa.”

Bryan pulled his beard down and revealed the rest of his face. Holly gasped as she recognized him, taking a step back as though he was going to swing at her. He dropped his gaze to her feet and his shoulders slumped over.

She didn’t care. He’d been dishonest with her. He’d flat out lied to her. Giving her extra time off because he knew she was looking for a new job, being nice because he thought she was going to leave him high and dry. And damn him, she’d started to believe in the miracle of Christmas again.

Holly could only think of her son, of Bobby sitting home with her mom. Holly had been so wrapped up in Santa, so enamored by him, that she ditched her son on her night off so she could see Santa again, not realizing she spent more hours with him than she did her son all week. She hated herself in that moment for choosing a man over her child, her flesh and blood.

“I have to go,” Holly said, backing away from Bryan.

“Please, Holly, let me explain.”

Tears stung her eyes, but she forced them back. “Don’t worry about it. I understand. You didn’t want me to quit so you played me. Makes perfect sense. But right now I need to spend some time with my son because I know I won’t get much of it in the future. You’ve made your point, and now I need to go.”

Holly spun and took off running, nearly falling when her heel caught a patch of ice. Bryan was calling her name, but she ignored him, running until she got to her car and driving off into the night.

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Secret Santa (Dec 26)

Bryan couldn’t explain the sudden weight that was lifted from his shoulders when she said she liked him. He’d barely been able to think of anything but her since he saw her the week before, rushing to find her son, flushed cheeks, billowing hair, wild eyes. She was stunning in a way no woman ever appeared to him. 

He knew he couldn’t have her. That being her boss made it impossible, not to mention that she neither likes nor trusted the man beneath the red suit. 

But Santa… Well, he was a damned lucky man to have Holly’s approval. 

Bryan reached for her hand as they walked. He wanted to touch her, but couldn’t risks caring her off. He’d sensed a connection of some sort, and he was desperate to know what it would feel like to hold her bare skin under his fingers. 

When their hands touched, Holly squeaked out a surprised breath. Bryan didn’t know if it was good or bad until she threaded her fingers through his and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. 

“You’re going to make me ask, aren’t you?” Holly said after a minute. 

“Ask what?”

“Ask who you really are… beneath the suit.” 

Bryan lost his breath again, but this time was for a very different reason. He knew if she ever found of who he really was she’d never speak to him again. 

And Bryan was not going to let that happen.   

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Merry Christmas

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas today! Enjoy your families and give thanks for all you’ve been blessed with.

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Secret Santa (Dec 24)

Holly wasn’t sure what possessed her to go back to the Winter Wonderland again, but she did. She’s spent the afternoon shopping for Bobby for Christmas. Her parents were watching him, baking Christmas cookies, so she had a night off.

And she went to see Santa.

“Holly,” he said, surprised to see her. “Where’s Bobby?”

“I don’t remember telling you my name last week,” Holly said suspiciously. “How did you know it?”

“Oh, uh, Santa knows everyone. And I’m pretty sure you introduced yourself.”

Holly looked at him closely, trying to place the eyes that looked too familiar, the voice that she knew from somewhere. “Do we know each other?”

“Of course. Santa knows everyone. I said that.”

Holly looked at him closely, trying to figure out if he was being purposely obtuse or if he was just really into his character. “You just seem familiar. I can’t figure it out though. Anyway, that’s not why I’m here. I have a message from Bobby.”

Bryan grinned and gestured ahead for Holly to walk with him. “Is he ready for Christmas?”

“I think so. It’s easy for kids though. They just have to be patient enough for Christmas to arrive. It’s on the parents to put it all together. Somehow I got a little bit of a Christmas miracle this week. My boss decided he’s been too hard on me and he wants me to not work so many hours.”

“That’s great news,” Bryan said. “Does that mean you aren’t looking for a new job anymore?”

Holly wrinkled her nose. “I’m not sure. It’s only been a few days. That doesn’t mean he’s completely changed.”

“Or maybe it does. Maybe he’s trying. He wants you to have a better life.”

“It’s just strange. Like he woke up one day and realized he was a jerk. But that’s not what I came to tell you. Bobby said he wants to take back his Christmas wish. He said he ‘got what he wanted this week.’ He wouldn’t tell me what that meant though.”

Bryan smiled. Holly wondered what secret Santa and her son shared, but she knew neither of them would actually tell her. “I think your son is smart. He’s a good kid.”

“Yes, he is. He likes you. Of course all kids like Santa.”

“Do you like Santa?”

Holly’s eyes snapped to his, her breath forcing its way out of her lungs as she took in the intensity in his eyes. The same intensity she’d seen the first time they met. The intensity she thought was all in her head.

“Yes,” Holly said softly. “I think I do.”

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Secret Santa (Dec 23)

Bryan watched Holly go and felt a hollowness in his gut. He’d seen her walk out of his office more times than he could count, but he’d never watched her walk away. Or felt so empty without her by his side.

He knew he was an ass. He’d been so focused on making the company successful he never gave a second thought to the people around him or how he treated any of them. Seeing how upset Holly was, and how quickly she jumped to the conclusion that he was trying to fire her, really made him see himself as others saw him.

And made him realize how much he needed to change.

***

That Friday night Bryan dressed in his suit again, securing his beard and checking his reflection before going out the door again. When his grandfather first set up the Winter Wonderland he made sure Santa would have a private changing room and entrance. At first Bryan figured it was because he basically stripped to his boxers to get into the suit, but now he realized the true intention. No one knew who played Santa. Not the elves who stood beside him, not the kids who sat on his lap, not the parents who took endless pictures of him.

Not one.

Bryan knew he had to keep himself hidden, especially from the kids, but all he could think about was Holly. She’d left early every day that week, something that made him smile. He hoped giving her an easier day would mean she would keep her job and it would satisfy Bobby’s Christmas wish.

His too, if he were honest with himself.

Once settled in his seat, Bryan nodded to the elves to start letting the children up to see him. He listened and laughed and told the kids to be good for their parents, but the whole time he was thinking about Holly. There was no reason to think she’d show up again, but he hoped she would. Seeing her outside the office, seeing her as a woman instead of his assistant, was something he craved. Almost as much as he craved her.

Something that both scared and excited him.

As the line started to die down, Bryan’s heart sunk a little. He knew Holly would have Bobby home. The boy was only five and there was no excuse for him to be out this late when Holly was getting off work at a normal time. He was out of luck.

The last kid climbed off Bryan’s lap and he stood, ready to get out of his suit and go home. If he was lucky his leftover Chinese food was still good and there might be a beer or two in his fridge.

“Hello, Santa,” she said from behind him. Bryan couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face before he even turned and saw her.

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Lush & Lovely, First Kiss

Claire and Aidan were a fun couple to write. I wasn’t sure I could do Claire justice because of everything she’d been through, but hopefully her quiet beauty and silent snark came through and made you love her as much as I did.

I love a first kiss. I still remember, vividly, the first kiss I shared with my (now) husband. How a first kiss happens sets the tone for a relationship, I think. Claire and Aidan’s first kiss definitely did!

Lush & Lovely is available now! Pick up your copy!

Excerpt from Lush & Lovely

Before I could respond his lips came down over mine. His hands, still holding my face, softened as our lips met. A spark, small but fiery, leapt out and lit me up. Just the brush of his lips to mine made me feel more alive than I’d felt in a long time. When his hands drifted from my cheeks, I let out a soft sigh of pleasure.

One hand fisted in my hair, holding me right where Aidan wanted me. The other hand slid down over my throat to my shoulder then down my arm where he reached for my hand, our fingers winding together again. Aidan turned my arm behind me and rested our joined hands on the small of my back, his thumb hooking through a belt loop on my capris.

He kissed like a man who knew his way around a woman. His soft pecks traveled from one corner of my mouth to the other, softly and sweetly tasting every inch of my lips. When he dipped his tongue into the corner where my lips met I sighed again, my lips parting ever so slightly.

Aidan, always in tune with me, centered his lips over mine again and took advantage of the gap in my lips, his tongue dancing between them and tempting me to open. My free hand reached for him as my lips fell apart and his tongue slipped inside my mouth the same time my arm slipped around his neck.

Pulling him closer, Aidan took the encouragement and kissed me deep. Our tongues slid together, tangling in the purest expression of love. He held me to him as he learned my mouth, stroking my tongue with his and dipping into the hollows of my cheeks.

I did the same, learning every part of his mouth from his lips to the end of his teeth, cataloguing him for later, for when he inevitably left. I knew this kiss was the kiss I’d been waiting for my whole life. This was the kiss I’d read about in books and heard my friends talk about. The kiss that would change my life forever and make me a different person.

Everyone thinks a first kiss is special. It marks something, says something about you. If you’re too young, you were a whore. If you’re too old, you’re a prude. If you use too much tongue or are too good at it then you’re lying about it being your first kiss. But none of that really matters because a first kiss isn’t that special. A first kiss is usually sloppy and awkward and feels weird. It’s something you tell your friends about but don’t ever really enjoy. No one knows what they’re doing the first time, so you have no idea if you’re good or bad.

But that kiss, my first kiss with Aidan… That was a kiss that meant something. A kiss that could move mountains and heal the sick. It was a kiss that gave me strength and zapped all of it at the same time. It was a kiss that told me life with Aidan would never be boring or dull but would be full of passion.

It was a kiss that made me a new woman.

When Aidan finally pulled back from me I couldn’t open my eyes. They were heavy with lust and desire. I wanted to drag him back to my bed and let him have his way with me. If he could make me feel that good with just a kiss I could only imagine what he could do if he was let loose on the rest of my body. I wanted to know what it felt like to lose myself with a man, to enjoy sex, and to scream his name as he moaned mine.

All these thoughts ran through my head as Aidan stood there, holding me close. His heart was pounding in tune with mine and I knew the kiss had effected him just as badly as it had me. We were both grasping for words, gasping for breath, desperate to explain what had just happened.

But we couldn’t.

All we could do was stand there and hold each other. Our entwined hands were still pressed into my back and his cock dug into my front. We each had a hand in the other’s hair and neither of us seemed ready to let go. Ready to face whatever had just happened.

We stood there, holding onto each other for a few minutes, before Brownie bounded over. He had found his stick from earlier and was proudly nudging it toward Aidan. We both leaned and looked down on my dog, waiting not so patiently for Aidan to play with him. I could sympathize.

Aidan squeezed my hand and pressed a kiss to my forehead then bent to retrieve the stick. He launched it across the grass and Brownie bounded happily after it. As soon as the stick left Aidan’s hand he reached for me again, pulling me into his body, holding me close as though he couldn’t get enough but also didn’t know what to say or do after the kiss we’d just shared.

We spent the rest of the afternoon like that, alternating throwing the stick for Brownie and holding each other. When Brownie was tired, Aidan walked us back home then kissed my cheek, leaving without another word.

But I knew he was as shaken as I was. Right down to my quivering core.

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Secret Santa (Dec 18)

Holly eyed him carefully, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Bryan was never that nice or giving. He was demanding, stoic, and borderline rude. 

But he was standing in front of her, early for work, and telling her she worked too hard. 

“Are you trying to get me to take time off so you can tell HR that I’m not dedicated?” 

“What? No! I’d never do that. Honestly, Holly, I just realized this weekend that I take up too much of your time. I can go through my own emails and make my own coffee. I can print my schedule each morning. I can take care of some of the things I’ve been asking you to do. I need you to get back to the tasks I hired you for, not the crap I don’t want to do.” 

Holly wasn’t sure what to say or think. Bryan had never been so kind to her. She often thought of him as the male version of Meryl Streep’s character in The Devil Wears Prada. 

Maybe Christmas miracles did exist. 

“Thank you. Truly. I, um, I’m not entirely sure what to say, but thank you.” 

Bryan smiled, a full grin that did funny things to Holly’s insides. She didn’t want to examine that, but she couldn’t deny her boss was an attractive man. 

Being kind only made her notice that even more. 

Holly excused herself before she did something foolish like launch herself into his arms. She knew it wouldn’t be smart, in any way, so she just turned and walked away. 

And told the butterflies in her stomach to go back into hibernation. 

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Secret Santa (Dec 16)

Bryan knew Holly would be surprised to see him, but he wasn’t expecting the wild-eyed look in her eyes or her bare feet. He knew he shouldn’t be thinking about his assistant the way he was, but her hot pink toes gave him a hint of the woman she was when she wasn’t his assistant, or Bobby’s mom, but was just Holly.

And damn, did he want to know more.

“Whoa,” Bryan said, “it’s just me. Are you okay?”

Her fear was nearly palpable, although he couldn’t imagine why. Who did she think would be in his office?

“What are you doing here so early?” she finally stammered. “I, um, I mean, I’m sorry I wasn’t here earlier. Is this your new schedule? I didn’t realize you were making a change. I can, um… shit,” she swore under her breath.

Bryan stepped toward her, desperate to be close to her again, although her knew she was as off limits as any person could ever be. Still, he was drawn to her, and couldn’t stop himself from moving closer.

“No. It’s not new. I just figured I’d see how early you got here. I was hoping I could beat you in this morning.”

Holly ducked her head. “I’m sorry. I’ve been trying so hard. I have a son and I have to get him to school before I come in but they’re not open for early drop off until seven and then I come right here. If you’ll give me another chance I’ll get someone to stay with him in the morning so I can come in earlier. I just… I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”

Bryan was baffled. She thought he was going to fire her? He was trying to do something nice. Make her morning a little easier. He wasn’t trying to make her feel bad.

“Holly, no. I’m not going to fire you. I wanted to see how early you come in because I know I haven’t been fair to you. It’s Christmas time, but more than that, I ask too much of you-”

“No, please, I need this job. It’s not too much. I can make it work. Just give me a few days to find someone who can watch my son in the morning and I can be here. It’s fine. Please, just don’t fire me.”

Bryan listened to her rambling on, frightened by how anxious she grew with each rapid fire declaration of her dedication. He knew she hated her job, hated him too, but she was fighting tooth and nail to keep it. It cracked his heart, knowing she was so committed to a job she despised for the sake of her son.

“Holly,” he finally stopped her with a gentle hand on her elbow. He guided her to one of the chairs in front of his large desk. When she sat he took the seat next to her. “I’m not going to fire you. Or cut your hours. Or your pay. You don’t need to find someone to get your son to school. I realized this weekend how much you work to keep me going and it isn’t fair to you. All I’m asking of you is to take some time for yourself. Start leaving on time. Come in at a normal time. Spend more time with your son. Go Christmas shopping. Maybe you can even take him to see Santa.”

Holly’s eyes snapped to his and he worried what the look she gave him meant.

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Lush & Lovely, cover reveal

Well, the Lush & Lovely cover has been out there for a while, but I wanted to draw special attention to it. The book will be available in a week (yay!). I’m so excited about this book coming out and had to share the cover and a quick sneak peak with you.

Claire doesn’t trust very easily. After having her heart shattered by the first boy she ever trusted, she closed herself off, physically and emotionally, from men. When she wasn’t looking, Aidan slipped past her defenses and became her friend.

Friend Claire could handle. Aidan fixed her coffee each morning at work, helped her during the day, and asked her out regularly. Claire knew the last part was a joke, until Aidan convinced her it wasn’t.

All of a sudden the man she’d been lusting after, who was safe because he wasn’t a possibility, isn’t safe. And neither is her heart.

Claire wants Aidan, more than she ever thought she would want a man. She just has to figure out if she is willing to trust him, and if he’s as lovely as he seems.

Excerpt from Lush & Lovely

“I think it’s time I get you into bed,” he said, igniting a fire inside me. I leaned toward him ever so slightly and grinned. I’d never been so excited to go to bed with a man. Maybe being a bit drunk was the secret.

“I was hoping you’d say that,” I cooed before I reached up and wound my hands around his neck. I rubbed my body against his like a dog in heat and leaned toward his mouth with mine leading the charge. I tugged his face toward me and our lips met in the middle.

Memories of our first kiss drifted away as our second kiss took center stage. Good God the man knew how to kiss. He quickly took control, his hands slipping into my hair and angling my head as his lips teased and tasted mine. He tasted a bit like beer, but I didn’t mind. Our lips danced together, meeting again and again, each time we pulled away making me want him closer all over again.

When Aidan finally dared to dart his tongue between my parted lips, I sighed in approval. One of his hands slid down to my waist and held my hips tight against his. His erection strained against his shorts and I knew it was going to be a good night.

“Jesus, you kiss like a goddess,” he rasped as he pulled back. His lips went to my ear where his teeth slipped out and bit into the soft skin of my earlobe. I gasped at the sudden sensation and he laved over it with his tongue, turning my gasp into a moan of pleasure.

Aidan’s teeth trailed over my neck then his tongue dipped between my collarbones before he worked his way up the other side of my neck. His fingers bit into my fleshy hip and I dragged him by the hair back to my mouth for more.

His tongue thrust quickly into my mouth, not waiting for an invitation. I tried to drag him toward my bedroom, but he held still, his kisses making me forget about anything but the feel of his tongue against mine and his arms surrounding me. His lips were soft against mine, his tongue hard and urgent. I wanted the rest of him hard and urgent.

“Let’s go to my room,” I purred, knowing he was as ready as I was.

“I can’t Claire.”

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Secret Santa (Dec 14)

By the following Monday Holly had all but forgotten about the mysterious Santa. Sure, Bobby talked about him constantly, but Holly did her best to put him out of her mind. After all, she didn’t know who he was beneath the suit, and it didn’t matter anyway. Holly didn’t believe in Santa or Christmas miracles.

Like the one she’d need to get a better job, or even enough time off work to shop for Bobby’s Christmas gifts.

Not that her job paid her enough to make Christmas fabulous.

But Holly didn’t worry about any of that when she walked into work Monday morning. She was always the first one in, making sure things were set up for her boss before he got to work. If he didn’t have a fresh pot of coffee waiting, his email free of junk, and a printed copy of his schedule on his desk, he was bound to blow a gasket. Not that Holly ever let it happen. She made sure everything was done so she never had to find out exactly what he would do if she weren’t there to take care of everything for him, before he even asked.

At her desk she turned on her computer. She logged into Bryan’s email and found it free of junk. Smiling to herself, thinking it was going to be a good day, she printed out his schedule. With a copy for him in hand, she headed to his office to start the coffee and leave the schedule on his desk.

She walked in the office and froze. Lights were on, which was normal, but everything was wrong. The coffee pot was already on, a cup missing from the top, the computer was lit up, and she heard noises coming from the private bathroom. Backing up toward the door and pulling out her cell phone, Holly got ready to dial 911 and report the break in.

Her breath caught in her throat when she heard the flush of the toilet followed by the water running in the sink. Holly was too far into the room to make it out before whoever was in the bathroom walked out. The water shut off as Holly searched for a possible weapon and kicked off her heels, preparing to run.

Then the door opened and out stepped her boss.

And he didn’t look very happy.

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